View a web cast of the Glenn School event with Thomas Mann, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, on the WAIP facebook page.

Here are links to the articles mentioned by Mr. Mann:

1.”Just How Broken is the Senate?” G. Packer: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/09/100809fa_fact_packer?printable=true

2. “Washington, We Have a Problem”: http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2010/09/broken-washington-201009

3. Obama speech to UM graduates, May 2010: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/01/obama-michigan-graduation_n_559688.html

African American Civil War Memorial and Museum

"Without the military help of the black freedmen, the war against the south could not have been won." President Abraham Lincoln, 1865.

The Emancipation Proclamation promised African-Americans freedom but in order to obtain their freedom they would need to help the Union win the war over the Confederacy. On May 22, 1863, the Bureau of US Colored Troops (USCT) was created to recruit, train, and deploy African American soldiers.

The African American Civil War memorial is a moving testament of the courage of African American Troops during the Civil War. The statue, Spirit of Freedom shows black soldiers in uniform and one single sailor. Around the sculpture is the Wall of Honor. This wall gives a listing of 209,145 names from the USCT who served our country during the Civil War.

The permanent exhibition of the museum is “Slavery to Freedom: Civil War to Civil Rights.” This exhibit shows the great struggle for freedom in the United States during that era. The museum has on display a bill of sale for an enslaved girl who sold for $600, it is an example of how slavery was such an economic force that could not have ended without the war.

By visiting the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum, one is able to learn a vitial segment of American history.

The African American Civil War Memorial and Museum is located on 1200 U Street, accessible by the green line.

-OI

The Apollo Exhibit

About a week ago I visited the American History Museum. It definitely took me by surprise, and is probably now my favorite museum in D.C. I spent at least an hour on each floor and loved every exhibit. However, my favorite part of this museum would have to be the exhibit on the Apollo Theatre. In this exhibit there was a video chronicling how it had shaped entertainment in general and most specifically African American entertainment. This video showed some of the most famous comedians performing at the Apollo and even how many of these people got their start during the famous "Amateur Night." Amateur night performers were given a chance to showcase what they've got in the historical theatre. But , this was no easy task since the audience was encouraged to quickly and loudly voice their opinions of each performance . Great performances were met with loud applause and those deemed not so great, well, met with an equally vocal unhappy response! The exhibit also featured many outfits that famous performers had worn at the Apollo. My favorite part of the exhibit was the display that had Sammy Davis' tap shoes from when he was younger and had first performed at the Apollo. The exhibit also went into detail as to how some of our favorite performers today got their big start at the Apollo's Amateur night. Some of these stars include, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and James Brown. What a great way to showcase a very important part of American entertainment history.

-M.T.

Coffee at the White House

After procuring White House tickets from Senator Brown, clearing my absence from work with my boss at KHA, and handing over all of my personal identity information to Sen. Brown's staffer, I ventured to the White House Visitor Center last Friday afternoon.

And, after completing a maze of security inspection, Haley and I were finally able to set foot in the White House. Only to our surprise, we were welcomed with a warm greeting from First Lady Michelle Obama and the family dog, Bo.

Mrs. Obama offered us coffee, which we took graciously, and cookies which we had to decline due to my promise to return back to the office promptly for an important business meeting (and Haley's rather strict all juice diet).

We were, however, able to walk through the East Room, Green Room (my favorite), Blue Room, Red Room, and the State Dining Room. After a brief stay and some small talk with Michelle and the working secret servicemen, we exited through the hall where Princess Di and John Travolta were once photographed sharing a dance.

I'd highly recommend requesting tickets MONTHS in advance, unless of course you have a personal connection with the Pres.
Most tours are self led, so I doubt you'll be as lucky as Haley & I were to run into a few of its actual residents. Of course, it's worth a shot!

Unfortunately, no cameras are allowed. So, you'll have to take my word for it.

LT & HC

Here's some entertaining political commentary on the ground zero mosque:
There are always different ways to look at a situation.

Politicians Discuss the Same Current Events We Do in Class

During one of our class sessions we discussed the new Islamic center project in lower Manhattan while the building was being reviewed for landmark status. The plans for the center have already been reviewed and approved, but now the focus of the center is apparent "public opinion" that disapproves having a mosque in this particular location.

This morning during CNN’s State of the Union, New York congressmen Jerrold Nadler (D) and Peter King (R) also discussed the Islamic Center.



King argued that, while he respects Muslims’ “right” to build a new center, “they should listen to public opinion” and “should voluntarily move the mosque away from Ground Zero.” This argument worries me because I get the impression of an attitude that puts guilt on all Muslims for the terrorist acts of 9/11. I am personally not against the center because the Rule of Law and our freedoms from the Bill of Rights should be equally distributed to all Americans, and clearly the people who are going to build and use this center are using their First Amendment rights. Yes, 9/11 was a tragedy for America, but as Nadler said, you can not "regard Islam as the culprit, as opposed to Al Qaida as the culprit. We were not attacked by all Muslims."

Letting this center be built willingly is such an American thing we as a nation can do because it celebrates the freedoms our founding fathers ensured we as a nation could have.


-H.H.



By the way, here is a map for the center's location in regards to Gound Zero.

Salutation Nation

One of my favorite experiences in DC was yoga on the White House Ellipse.

August, 7th Lululemon sponsored an event they called Salutation Nation, to connect people mind and body all across North America. Helene, Kelly, and I went together to practice yoga with people from all over the DC metropolitan area. For an hour, I practiced yoga and actually I felt like part of the DC community.

-LT

The Star-Spangled Banner Correction

Hey Everyone,

I went to the American HIstory Museum as well and also stopped at this exhibit.

Just a few major corrections that I didn't want to overlook:

(1) This is NOT the first American flag!!! This flag was sewn in 1813 and is the flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812 that inspired Francis Scott Key and is hence known as the Star Spangled Banner. The first official flag following the Flag Act of 1777 is the "Betsy Ross" Flag. The first flag used during the Revolution is actually thirteen stripes with the Union Jack in the corner.

(2) The flag was commissioned to one woman, Mary Pickersgill, but was sown by her, her family, and some of her servants.

That said, this was a really good exhibit with lots of memorabilia from the Battle of Baltimore including British rockets. shells, and bombs. It also has pieces related to the writing of the poem/song and the preservation of the flag. I also encourage you all to go see the exhibit

-Sean F

The Star-Spangled Banner

Last weekend, my mom and I went to go visit the National Museum of American History. The museum is packed with plenty of exhibits about almost anything and everything you can think of related to American history.

While making our way from one wing of the building to the other side, one exhibit located in between the two wings had a line wrapped around the corner of people waiting to see what was inside. Having no idea what we were waiting to see, we figured it must be something spectacular if there was a line. Upon entering, we saw that it was an exhibit all about the inspiration for The Star-Spangled Banner. The exhibit was a single file line that started out with a few brief photos and descriptions about how the idea for the flag was conceived. Making our way through the line, in silence, and in the dark we had no idea what we would see just around the corner.

It was a truly breathtaking view of the nation’s first 15-star flag which inspired Francis Scott Key to write the national anthem named for the flag, The Star Spangled Banner. The almost 200-year old, 30-by 34-foot flag is displayed in a special environmentally controlled chamber. Taking a closer look, you can see how difficult it must have been for one woman to sew the entire piece. Next to the actual flag is an interactive table with a tactile image that allows visitors to investigate key details of the flag and how it was made.

If you have a chance during the next week to visit, this exhibit is definitely worth it.

-M.A.

The Secrets of the Mona Lisa Painting

One morning before work, I went to visit the National Geographic Museum. Since I didn’t have to be at the office until 12pm that day, I wanted to find something within walking distance that I haven’t had the chance to visit yet. As mentioned in previous posts, the museum has two displays: Design for the other 90% exhibit and the Da Vinci exhibit.

The Da Vinci exhibit was my favorite of the two. It showed a variety of objects ranging from a depiction of Da Vinci’s “ideal city” and a 360-degree mirror. But my favorite part of the exhibit was the section on the Mona Lisa painting.



The exhibit outlines the “Secrets of Mona Lisa” by pointing out the not so obvious features of the painting such as the fact that she has no eyebrows, there are three levels of nature in the background, and that she is actually wearing a veil.

I found this exhibit particularly interesting because I’ve seen the Mona Lisa painting (housed in the Louvre in Paris) twice and both times I never recognized the things that they pointed out. Since the original painting is actually quite small, the exhibits uses a blown up black and white version of the portrait to point out the details. Without this feature, I might have never known about the “secrets” of the Mona Lisa portrait.

-M.A.

A Weekend in Georgetown

So this past weekend, my family came to town and I spent the weekend in Georgetown. This was my first sojourn to Georgetown this summer and I did a little more exploring than I have the past couple times I've been in DC. So here are a few highlights of the area…

The Georgetown Inn - the only hotel in the heart of Georgetown. This place has had a lot of famous guests over the years. Its first visitors were the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. A nice place but probably could use a little updating the TVs were older than I am.

The Old Stone House - The oldest residence in DC is in Georgetown. Its gone through several changes in its lifetime and now is a museum. Next door are some nice gardens that go along with the house, probably the only unused space on the main drag.

C&O Canal - the remnants of the canal system that used to go all through DC (mentioned by Len Shapiro all the way back in week1). It was full of algae but their were some nice restaurants and a walking/running path.

Washington Harbor - This was a great waterfront development project that is still going on. I remember years ago when I first came to DC and took a tour boat out of this area. Now, their are bunches of great restaurants and nightlife and a waterfront boardwalk. This is a great spot for views and food and just chilling.

Martin's Tavern - This was probably my favorite place that I went to. It has a lot of history to it. This is the place that JFK proposed to Jackie O (there is a plaque in the booth) and many famous politicians go/went on a regular basis including Nixon, Truman, and Madeline Albright (all with plaques in their booths too). It was a neat place owned and operated by 4 generations of Billy Martins.

Of course other great places in Georgetown to check out: Georgetown Cupcakes, Thomas Sweets, shopping, the university, etc…

All in all a fun weekend, I would recommend to anyone who hasnt made it over there yet to try and do so before the end of our brief time left here.

-Sean F

Rains, Floods, & Forest Fires... OH MY!

Our very own DC flash floods reminded me to post the Russia forest fire links.

First- some amateur video....

Next- Google Earth tracking each instance of fire...

Last- we have some photos... here

-Drew

"The Empty Chamber"

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/09/100809fa_fact_packer?currentPage=all

This link is to an article that was sent to Shawn and I through Senator Voinovich's office. It's titled "The Empty Chamber: Just how broken is the Senate?". The article is definitely worth reading, especially before our meeting with Thomas Mann next week. It gives real life examples of senators letting their partisanship getting in the way of accomplishing any real work in the Senate. It even illustrates how bi-partisan dinners have become a thing of the past and how senators have lost touch with the friendship aspect of their interactions with each other. Also mentioned is some senator's frustration with the outdated rules of the Senate and how issues have to take a backseat because they are incapable of being addressed. It's a great article that gives an inside look in the inefficient way that business is handled in modern-day Congress.

-Haley & Shawn O.

A History of Violence

Acting upon the recommendation of a roommate, the two of us ventured to the Far East (Chinatown) this evening to check out the Crime and Punishment Museum. The facilities and exhibit were rather impressive. The expectations were quite high as per the 4 3/4 Stars rating the gallery received on Yelp, the points of interest reviewer application for my cell phone. Expectations were met and exceeded.

The exhibits in the museum were a macabre display of the two sides that have made up the endless battle between criminals and authority figure. The chronicle of punishment began in a dim-lit dungeon with shackles and inquisition tools of torture and ended in a modern forensic laboratory with gadgets from the 21st century. Across the centuries we saw weapons, crime scene photos (often very graphic), prisons, guns, more guns and even the set of America's Most Wanted.

The most compelling and disturbing display was the room dedicated to capital punishment and execution. The lethal injection Droid that was designed to completely remove human accountability and blame from the equation. The robot hypodermic needle scorpion, something straight out of T2 (Terminator 2), looked more like science fiction than a cog in the penal system. This battlebot has actually been tossed around the table as another way to remove any moral responsibility for taking the life of another. As the saying goes, if you can't pay the time, don't do the crime.

Andy & Zach

The Basilica--National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

The Basilica is the largest Roman Catholic Church in the U.S and North America and one of the ten largest churches in the world.

The construction of The Basilica started almost 100 years and took years to complete and was done in many stages ---because World War II and the Great Depression disrupted the building work.

Compared to the other large Cathedral in Washington D.C - the National Shrine which has a Gothic style it's a typical Catholic architecture. It's Romanesque in style with not overly elaborate design details.

Although simple in design, The Basilica is still breathtaking in its own unique way in terms of architecture and details. My favorite part of the tour was seeing the various stained glass and mosaic artwork and the numerous chapels which each had a distinct identity and trademark.

It's a bit of a trip out to visit (near the Catholic University) but it's near the Brooklyn-CUA Metro station (red line) and definitely worthwhile.

-OI

Informational Interview @ CSIS

On our activity checklist there is an option to "conduct an informational interview with someone from an organization reflecting your professional interests."

I decided that I wanted to talk to someone from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). My interests in the EU and the French language made me choose Heather Conley, Senior Fellow and Director of the European Program.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies is a bipartisan foreign policy think tank that was founded in 1964 by Admiral Arleigh Burke and Ambassador David Manker Abshire. CSIS focuses on all aspects of foreign and security policy. CSIS provides policy recommendations to decision-makers in the government, international institutions, private sector and civil society groups. CSIS is located on 1800 K Street.

Have you always been interested in International Studies?

Yes and No. I was really interested in theater in high school and I wanted to major in theater in college but my parents felt that International Studies was much more practical. I was always interested in policy work and international issues because I studied abroad.

What has been your career path?

I received a B.A. in International Studies at West Virginia Wesleyan College then I got my Masters in International Relations from John Hopkins. Prior to CSIS I served as a senior adviser to the Center for European Policy Analysis, an independent, nonpartisan public policy research institute. I also served as the executive director, Office of the Chairman of the Board of the American National Red Cross. From 2001–2005, I served as deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau for European and Eurasian Affairs. All my experiences have prepared me for my current job. Working in the State Department helped me better understand the government. Also, my fundraising skills at the Red Cross have allowed me to utilize those skills at CSIS.

What are the rewards that you get from your job? What gives you the most satisfaction?

What is most rewarding to me is when we have educated and informed people about an issue that people don't know a lot about. I find it satisfying helping people understand the complexities of IR. Speaking to a lot of groups, and bringing experts and scholars to compare "transatlantic notes" is also very rewarding because one gets to hear various perspectives.

What is your advice for seniors like me interested in International Studies after college?

-2 years or 3 years of work experience is a must, even if it is just a year. You need to gain long-term experience, longer than an internship. Also, you need a break, going straight to graduate school after undergrad is really stressful.

-Working before graduate school provides a much more rich analysis and experience in the classroom.

-Where you get your graduate degree is extremely important, choose wisely.

I truly enjoyed speaking with Heather, it was such a great opportunity to learn the different challenges she faces and the rewards of her job. I could definitely see myself working in her position in the future as a Director of a European or African Program.

-OI